Avatar Matchmaker
by Kumori Doragon
Summary: Katara is stuck on a dating show because Toph talked her into it. Who are her choices? Who will she end up with?
1. Avatar Matchmaker

Why, hello everyone! Long time no talk. This isn't something I'd normally consider writing, but it just wouldn't get out of my head and I just had to write it down. Hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. But I do own a cute little Pomeranian! His name is Dinky and he's so adorable! But on with the show!

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"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the one and only… Avatar Matchmaker! Please put your hands together for today's contestant… Katara!" 

The applause was deafening as Katara waved to the audience. She stood on the left side of a large stage, which was divided in half by a large barrier. She couldn't see what – or who – was on the other side, but she knew how the game worked. She wouldn't find out until later. The spectators sat on rows of earth bleachers and they seemed to be very excited to be there. Way more excited than Katara herself.

"I'm your host, Kris Deeter," the man was announcing. "Are you ready to play…" At this point, he held his microphone out and the audience responded perfectly.

"Avatar Matchmaker!" Whistles and cheers made the waterbender roll her eyes. It was all so silly. How did she ever let Toph talk her into this?

"How about you, Katara? Are you ready to meet your perfect match?" Suddenly the microphone was in her face, redundant as it was. The one clipped to her robe was working just fine. But she plastered on a too-big grin anyway.

"Ready when you are, Kris!" Apparently the audience loved the answer because another round of applause erupted. She resisted the urge to hit Kris in the way-too-happy face, choosing instead the much less violent action of sitting down on her stool.

"That's good, Katara, because your three choices are waiting on the other side of this wall. Of course, their voices are disguised to hide their true identities. We wouldn't want you to know who they are, am I right?"

The crowd shouted in agreement and Katara's eye twitched as she suppressed another eye-roll. What was she doing here anyway? She didn't want to be here! She was going to kill Toph.

"Let's say hello to Bender Number One!" The audience could evidently see the Benders because one side of the room rose to there feet and clapped.

"Hello, Katara," said the friendly voice of Number One.

It would be a slow, painful death.

"Say hello to Bender Number Two!" The other side of the studio voiced their positive opinions. Very loudly.

"Hey, Katara," said Number Two. His tone, distorted as it was by some sort of machine, was light and casual.

Perhaps Toph would die in her sleep. Tragically, of course.

"And last, but not least, Bender Number Three!" A group in the center was on their feet, cheering wildly. A tic seemed to have developed in her left eye. Yes, Toph was definitely going down.

"Hello." Number Three was harder to pinpoint, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get this over with.

"You know the rules, Katara. No asking questions that reveal the person's identity." Kris turned to the people on the other side of the barrier, even though he couldn't see them. He looked rather silly speaking to a wall. "The same applies to you, Benders. Don't say anything that gives it away." Back to Katara. "You can ask as many questions as you want in the twenty minute time period." He addressed the audience. "Are you ready to play…"

"Avatar Matchmaker!" The crowd cheered for a moment before sitting down to watch the show. Katara licked her lips and looked at Kris, who nodded an affirmative.

_Alright_, she thought. _Let's get this over with._

"Number One," she started. " My element is water. In what ways are you like water?" The first question that came to her mind was a basic, general inquiry. The audience _ooh_ed in satisfaction.

"Well…" Number One hesitated, as if thinking it over. "I am constant and steady." His fan base applauded.

_Basic question, basic answer._

"I can be calm; I can be rough; I can be upsetting; I can be soothing. I am as changing as the ocean." Numbers Two's reply came readily. The right half of the audience, directly in front of Katara, jumped to their feet. The waterbender grudgingly agreed with them.

_Very nice. But do you mean it?_

"I'm intense and deep," came Number Three's clipped answer. The crowd clapped politely, not very impressed after Two's response.

"Umm… What would you say is your best quality?" She glanced at the clock at the back of the studio. Only two minutes had passed? Katara resigned herself to her terrible fate. "Number Two?" She had decided to ask her questions in rotation. That way the same guy wouldn't have to come up with a quick answer.

Two thought for a moment before he said, "My ability to adapt to anything."

"I believe my best quality is my persistence," Three said. Another peek at the clock showed that she still had seventeen minutes left.

"My best quality," began One, "is my loyalty."

They were all good answers, but nothing that popped out at her. If she had to pick one now, she wouldn't be able to choose. Although Number Two was slightly ahead because of his first answer, it was still pretty close.

What was she saying? She didn't want this. This was all too… demeaning. Placing people in such positions probably wasn't a good idea. She knew she wouldn't want to be put on display like those guys were.

Katara realized that everyone was looking at her, waiting for her next question. She opened her mouth to protest the stupid game show when the stupid game show host interrupted.

"It's time for a commercial break. Alright, audience, who would you choose?" Noise overwhelmed her. These people were so loud! Kris looked at her. "Only fifteen more minutes to ask questions, Katara." As if she wasn't counting down every second already. "But we'll be right back with-"

"Avatar Matchmaker!" Cheers rang out as the shippers supported their pairing. Katara rolled her eyes.

_Fans_, she thought. _A blessing and a curse._

The large red 'On Air' sign next to the clock blinked off. Kris Deeter's plastic smile never left his face as a crewman came out of the wings. The person was dressed completely in black, and he carried a large bag filled with who-knew-what. He hovered around Kris, brushing his hair for him and dabbing some sort of makeup on his nose. The host didn't even notice. He walked over to Katara, the crewman following closely. She braced herself for the inevitable, maddening cheeriness.

"Now, Katara, don't be afraid to ask deep questions that mean a lot to you." He lightly punched her shoulder. The crewman never slowed nor stopped his ministrations for a moment. "Don't forget that the person you pick at the end has to take you on a date." Her eyes widened and she began to object, but the annoying little bug of a man interrupted her again. "We wouldn't want you to end up with someone you can't stand, am I right? Or am I right?"

"Buzz off." She would have laughed inwardly at her own private joke if she hadn't been so preoccupied with what he had said. Kris's grin faltered for half of a second, but he simply turned around and walked offstage, the crewman one step behind.

_Of course you'll have to go on a date. What did you think, they would just stick you with someone and leave you alone?_ She put her chin in her hand, her elbow perched on her knee, and tapped her toe on the earth floor.

To be honest, she hadn't thought that far ahead. She just kept thinking that the whole ordeal would end when the credits started rolling. Yes, she'd been fooling herself. She needed to deal with this 'matchmaker' torture, and then endure an entire date with some stupid jerk. She would get through it, though. She'd overturned an entire tribe's ancient traditions for the opportunity to become a master waterbender, for spirits' sake! Handling this would be a cinch. Right?

Toph was toast.

Katara lifted her head, remembering her friend mentioning that she'd be in the studio audience. Her eyes scanned the people in front of her, starting on her left. There were some strange fans in the crowd: someone was foaming at the mouth, two fans on opposite sides were yelling across the room (she doubted they could hear each other over the chaos) and making rude gestures, and someone had decided that this would be an excellent time to practice playing the sunghi horn. But no Toph.

Wait! Her foot stopped tapping. On the right side of the audience, straight across from her, a small, dirty arm was pounding someone on the head. A head covered in black hair and earth turned to face her. Katara assumed the girl's feet had noticed the absence of the vibrations caused by her tapping toe. And they were probably focused on her right then. The waterbender narrowed her eyes and drew a finger across her throat, making the gesture sharp so Toph wouldn't miss it.

Suddenly the fans were silent and still. All eyes turned and fixed themselves on her. She froze. Maybe if she held still they would go back to whatever they were doing. She was right; seconds later a fight broke out somewhere in the middle of everything. Fans jumped in on all sides and the moment was broken.

Exasperated, she muttered, "Fans," as if it were a dirty word. _They watch everything I do._

Back to the problem at hand. The end of the show was looming closer, and choosing the right bender now seemed all-important. She knew the show only chose people involved with the Avatar, obviously. So it had to be someone she knew. That could be either a positive thing or a negative thing, she realized. And that parasite Kris Deeter had said they were all benders.

_That narrows it down to just about every guy on Avatar_, she though sarcastically. _Well, not __every__ guy. That does leave out Jet._ She sighed. _One down, a million to go._

It could be almost anyone. Anyone close to her age anyway. She doubted they would stick her with someone as old as Zuko's uncle. Even so, there were a lot of young, male benders. She'd just have to-

"Welcome back to Avatar Matchmaker." The show was starting already? Spirits, she needed to pay attention. Katara sat straight up, frantically trying to think of another question. Kris was up front, reintroducing everything.

"Are you ready, Katara?" That had to be the fifteenth time he'd said her name. She just nodded, her mind working quickly. "Then go ahead. Your fifteen minutes are ticking away." He watched her for a moment, then moved to stand about five feet to her right.

"Alright." Thinking of a question. Thinking… of… a question. She had it! "Bender Number Three, what is your opinion of female benders?" If any of them thought like Sokka used to think, they would be immediately disqualified in her mind. There was no way she would put up with a bigot.

"Well." The deep, indistinct voice cleared its throat. "They can be useful." _Useful?! _Number Three was in deep waters. Only a clever end to that answer would save him, but he seemed to be finished. The audience didn't appear to like that response; someone in front of her even called him a chauvinistic pig. Katara silently agreed.

"Uh…" Number One spoke quickly to distract the mob. "I think gender doesn't matter much when it comes to bending." She nodded, glad someone was not completely stupid. The fans calmed down a bit, though dirty glares kept finding there way over to where she assumed Three was.

Number Two said, "I know some great female benders. Some of them are better than me. I believe girls are just as good as guys." _Just as good?_ "If not better." Okay, she was impressed. Even though One and Two had said basically the same thing, Two had said it better. And One had added the 'when it comes to bending' part. Toph led the right half of the audience in a wave.

_Who would Toph be rooting for?_ She let the thought go for now. She needed to think of another subject to ask about.

"Okay. Number One, it's back to you. Would you ever lie to me?"

"No. Honesty is the best policy."

Number Two wasn't as positive. "It's possible. I don't know the future. But if I ever did lie, I would feel horribly guilty and I would probably end up telling you the truth." His fan base didn't seem very happy. But wasn't her question about honesty? Besides, she would have said relatively the same thing.

"I agree with Bender Number One. I don't lie." She was beginning to dislike Number Three. He said the same thing as One, but his tone and choice of words made his answer seem wrong. Who didn't lie?

She glanced at the clock. Only about seven minutes remained. She was running out of questions and needed to think. When was the next commercial break anyway?

"How would you describe the perfect girl, Number Two?"

"First of all, she wouldn't be perfect. No one is. But she would be beautiful. And spirited and smart and caring." He paused. "I couldn't begin to describe her." Number Two was really growing on her. He seemed to have all the right answers.

"My perfect girl would have brown hair and blue eyes. Her perfect body would have a dark tan. She would be a talented bender with a fiery attitude." The crowd let out a soft _Aww_ and clapped for Number Three.

That sneaky jerk! He had just described her! The flattery felt good, but he obviously didn't mean it. Put Yue in her place and he would have said he liked white hair and black eyes! Um, Yue had blue eyes, like everyone in the Water Tribe. Katara seethed.

"The perfect girl would be beautiful and have a great personality," said Number One. _He's not trying very hard_, she thought.

The clock told her she had time for one more question. And she had the perfect one.

"Why did you come on this show, Number Three?" The fans looked shocked, and even Kris Deeter traded his smile for round eyes and an open mouth. She didn't blame them – it probably wasn't a very common query – but she wanted to hear what they had to say. Three still hadn't answered yet.

"I… uh… I-"

Katara broke in. "Remember, Number Three, you don't lie." Her voice was slightly taunting, as if she were daring him to speak anything other than the truth. Maybe she was.

He sputtered, seemingly flustered. It sounded very odd with the voice distortion. "I… well… um…" He took a breath. "I can't tell you." The fans talked excitedly amongst themselves. This was turning out to be an interesting show. Katara thought about replying but decided against it. Instead, she asked for One's reason.

"I'm not sure. I guess I just felt like it." She shook her head. That could have been sincere, but most likely not. Why couldn't they just tell her? What were they hiding?

"The reason I am on this show is…" Number Two hesitated. Katara could tell he was torn between the truth and a lie. Her fingers clutched her seat and she leaned forward in anticipation. She noticed the audience was silent. "It's because… I like you." He started to say something else, but apparently thought better of it. The fans across from her cheered and blew raspberries at their rivals next to them. No one else seemed to know what to say. Katara didn't. How do you respond to that? She didn't even know who he was. Still, she felt a twinge in her stomach. Someone had just said he liked her. On national television! She couldn't help but admire his courage. She also couldn't help wondering who this guy was.

The choice didn't seem to be very difficult to make. As a bell sounded in the studio, signaling the end of her allotted time, she knew whom she would pick.

Kris Deeter appeared on her right. She waited for him to ask her whom she would choose.

"Time's up! This has been an interesting twenty minutes, and I'm sure Katara is going to have a tough time deciding. Am I right, audience?" The crowd jumped to their feet and cheered. Kris turned to the contestant. "Am I right, Katara?" She started to tell him that it wasn't tough and she knew exactly who to pick, but, for the second time, he cut her off.

"Don't tell us now, Katara," he said. "Tell us… after the break." The fans groaned, although Katara suspected they all knew that was going to happen. They dropped into their chairs, and the noise level immediately rose. The waterbender on stage sighed and put her head in her hands.

Sure, it was an easy choice to make, but whom was she choosing? It was someone Toph liked. This guy liked her, but was it just an infatuation from a brief stay on her journey to save the world or was this someone she knew well? She let out a sigh of frustration and resigned herself to fate.

She spent the rest of the commercial break studying the crowd. At first she watched Toph, who was too busy flipping off someone across the room to notice. Then she moved on to watching the fans in general. The room was divided into three sections. Not physically. It was divided into three groups who all wanted to see her pick their favorite.

Those rooting for Number One were on the far left side. They seemed relatively calm, and the group was significantly smaller than the other two, which seemed to be the reason that they were ignored by the other groups.

Supporters of Number Two were on the right side and they were easier to study because they were directly in front of her. These fans were a little rowdier and much more dedicated. Most wore T-shirts or hats that said 'NUMBER TWO IS NUMBER ONE'. A few waved banners with large twos stamped on the fabric.

Whoever placed Number Two fans and Number Three fans next to each other must have been fired by now. The invisible border between the two groups was a battle zone. Literally. Near the top, someone was sitting on a person's head. Down at the bottom, a fight had broken out and the fighters were tangled up in each other. Somewhere in between it looked like an arm was being bitten off.

The Number Three fans themselves were the loudest. Their group was slightly larger than their rivals', but not by much. They showed their support in T-shirts, hats, balloons, face paintings, and noise. Everything they said had to be shouted or it wasn't worth saying. At least, that's what they seemed to think.

_When is this dang break going to be over?_ Katara couldn't take it anymore. She was going stir-crazy. Studying the crowd was doing nothing to calm her nerves.

She had never been very good with guys, she reflected. She always felt awkward. The incident with Jet was a good example. Making that hat for him had been a silly mistake, and she was glad she had ended up giving it to Aang. On Jet it wouldn't have fit right and would have looked odd, but it had seemed to be perfect on Aang. She had done everything wrong with Jet. Now that she knew what he was really like, though, she was glad nothing had gone right.

Kris Deeter walked onto the stage, his constant follower gone.

_Finally_, she thought. Her stomach twisted. This was it. She hoped she had made the right choice.

A cameraman held up five fingers. Five seconds. Kris turned on his smile, and the audience miraculously quieted. Katara sat up straight.

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to…"

"Avatar Matchmaker!" That was getting so annoying! But in only a few minutes she would meet her date. Her stomach fluttered again, and she took a deep breath.

"Are you ready to meet your perfect match, Katara?" Was that the fiftieth or fifty-first time he had said her name? He was so irritating! Or maybe she was just nervous.

Katara nodded, and Kris grinned.

"After twenty minutes of questions, the time has come to choose a bender. Katara. Who do you want to go on a date with?"

The audience suddenly began shouting out which they would choose. The noise was overwhelming. Glancing across from her, she could see that Toph was cheering wildly for Number Two. Despite her nervousness, Katara felt the urge to torture her friend. If only a little.

"I choose…" She raised her voice to be heard, trailing off at the end. The racket stopped. The crowd leaned in. Toph crossed her fingers. Seconds passed before the fans grew restless and began shouting again. Toph remained silent, her blind eyes fixed on her friend, waiting to hear the decision.

"I choose," she began. Once again, silence reigned. "Bender Number Two."

Pandemonium erupted. Fans of Number Three began _boo_ing, and someone insisted that Katara had really said 'Three'. _Crazy fans. Always in denial._ Toph and her group cheered and began celebrating. The earthbender couldn't stop smiling, and she shared a high five with the foaming guy. Number One's supporters seemed to accept it, and they slowly reclaimed their seats.

Katara's heart pounded as Kris walked over to the edge of the stage, next to the divider. She could see that there was enough space for someone to move around the wall. Thinking that Kris was going to call over her date, she was surprised when the host crossed to the other side. Moments later he returned, pulling someone by the arm.

"Zuko?" Katara was shocked. She had picked her worst enemy? Her mouth hung open, but her throat refused to let any words come out. The firebender just shrugged. Kris laughed, and she shot a poisonous glare at him. He immediately grew serious.

"Katara, Zuko is…" He drew out the word for what seemed like an eternity. "Number Three." Relief overtook her, and she closed her eyes to breathe. A date with Zuko was synonymous to shooting an icicle into her own foot.

Kris called over the next person. She opened her eyes.

"Haru?" She was surprised to see him; it had been a while since she had been to his village. This time, though, she knew he wasn't the one she had chosen. Kris seemed to sense this and quickly introduced Haru as Number One.

Her hands grew clammy. The next person to walk over would be the guy she had picked. Who would it be? She unconsciously held her breath, her fingers clutching her Water Tribe robe.

Zuko and Haru stepped away from Kris, moving to stand on her right. She ignored them and focused entirely on the host.

"Katara." Kris gestured with his arm, indicating the divider. "It is time to meet your perfect match." And just like that the barrier began retracting into the wall behind her. It was moving mind-numbingly slowly. As inch by inch of the other side of the stage became visible, the waterbender drew another breath in anticipation and apprehension.

Number Two was revealed. Katara gasped. The audience was deathly quiet, waiting for her reaction. The only sound was a soft click as the divider came to a stop.

Her heart had stopped. She felt a pressing need to breathe. He was her perfect match? Number Two gave a sort of half-wave.

When Katara spoke, her voice came out in a partial whisper, disbelief evident in the single word.

"Aang?"

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Well? Is it good? Is it bad? Is it ridiculously silly? Tell my what you think! I love reviews and critiques are always appreciated. 

Chapter Two will be up soon. Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.


	2. Just Aang

Well, here it is! Chapter number two. I hope you all like it. I'd also like to thank my amazing beta Liselle129.

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Avatar.**

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Katara couldn't believe how things had turned out. Here she was, sitting at a table in the finest restaurant in town on a date with her best friend, and it was all because Toph had set her up. She didn't even want to think about that fateful conversation right then.

She put a hand to her head and let her eyes wander over to where Aang was talking to Sokka. Her brother sat a few tables away, with Suki tonight. She doubted her brother was there coincidentally. At least he was far enough away for her and Aang to talk in peace. Right now the airbender was probably getting an earful from her over-protective brother. Poor Aang.

_Aang…_ she mused. Her thoughts immediately went back to the game show, Avatar Matchmaker. The day before she had chosen her best friend because, apparently, he was her perfect match. Upon seeing him, she'd been able to tell he was nervous; it was all in his eyes. And the way he couldn't stand still.

She had been beyond shock when she saw him on the other side of the stage. She couldn't recall exactly what she felt at that moment; her stomach had done a sort of flip-flop. Had she been excited to see him or had she expected someone else? She didn't know. But when they had hugged at Kris Deeter's urging, it had happened again.

Then she had been rushed out of the studio to a hotel. The night had been spent there. A group of Earth Nation girls had insisted on getting her dolled up. They had spent hours 'fixing her', as they so snobbishly put it. Fortunately, she'd been able to rub off most of the makeup on the ride to the restaurant. After all, it was just Aang, right? Besides, she didn't feel comfortable wearing the stuff. She had, however, left her hair alone. It was in loose curls that hung to the small of her back. There was nothing she could do about it, and anyway, she kind of liked it. Aang had agreed when they first sat down, telling her that she looked beautiful. Sokka had pulled him out of his seat before he'd said anything else.

And here she was. Waiting for her date, uh, best friend, to sit down again.

"What's wrong?" The airbender's voice broke into her thoughts and she looked up. He'd sat down without her noticing.

Katara shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking."

She'd been forced into wearing an ornate, fitted blue kimono, and it looked like Aang had been pressured into dressing up as well. He wore a suit, kind of like the one Long Feng had worn when they first met him at Bosco's party. Except Aang's was grey and fit him nicely. She had to admit he looked good in it. It complimented his eyes.

Wait. This was Aang she was thinking about. Aang, the sweet, goofy Avatar who needed to save the world. Not Aang the potential soul mate.

"Are you sure?" It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't responding to her thoughts.

"What? Oh… yeah, I'm fine." It was an obvious lie, but he didn't reply right away. He seemed to be deciding whether or not he should say something.

"What is it, Aang?" she prompted.

"Is it… because of me?" A glance at his eyes let her know how vulnerable he was right then. There was something else: fear, almost, but not quite.

"No, Aang. That's not it at all." She nervously rolled the edge of the tablecloth in her hands. "It's just… Is this a bit awkward or is it just me?" If she hadn't been deliberately looking for a reaction, she might've missed the look in his eyes, it was so quickly erased.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." His voice sounded nonchalant, and his features were arranged in a casual grin.

_But I've said it before and I'll say it again: his eyes give him away._ Aang couldn't quite manage to hide that he didn't seem very happy with how things were going, to put it mildly. But why wouldn't he be? They were best friends, not… lovers.

Suddenly his words from the day before came back to her.

"_**The reason I am on this show is…" Number Two hesitated. Katara could tell he was torn between the truth and a lie. Her fingers clutched her seat and she leaned forward in anticipation. She noticed the audience was silent. "It's because… I like you."**_

He liked her! Aang… liked her. And she had only moments ago told him it was awkward.

She felt like smacking herself on the head so hard that Sokka would be jealous. Comforting him now just wouldn't seem right, but Katara wanted to anyway. She hated seeing him hurt and being the one who caused it only made it worse. She loved him – like a friend of course – and she would do almost anything to take that pain away. His forearms rested on the table, and she placed her hand on his. His eyes focused on this gesture, and Katara couldn't tell if he wanted to yank his hand away or not.

"Aang…" She wasn't sure what she wanted to say. What could she say?

"It's fine, Katara." Aang looked up at her. "We're just friends, right?" He smiled halfway, and she squeezed his hand.

"The best." He nodded. Katara removed her hand and picked up her menu. "So what are you ordering?" Aang reached across the lit candlestick in the center of the table and gently pushed her menu closed.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll try my hand at ordering your meal, too." He grinned.

_Anything for that smile._

Katara shrugged. "Why not? Just no papaya." They smiled.

"Of course. No papaya." He held her gaze for a moment, his tone neither serious nor funny, and she could feel her face heating up. He was just Aang. She needed to remember that.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" She said it to break the silence, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she laughed. Aang's eyes lit up as he too recognized them.

"Oh, I was smiling?" They both laughed as they remembered the first time they'd met. Their eyes locked again. Aang's gaze shifted a little, and he reached a hand across the table. Katara's heart thumped as his thumb brushed her cheek. She was surprised at the soft, cool touch, and her breath hitched a little. His thumb lingered half of a second longer than necessary – or perhaps that was her imagination – before Aang withdrew his hand. She closed her eyes a moment, trying to recapture the feel of his skin on hers. Opening her eyes, she saw his thumb held out in front of her, a smudge of makeup on his finger.

"Got it," he said, grinning as if he knew what was going through her mind.

_Pull yourself together, Katara. He's just Aang._

For a moment, she'd thought… but no. They were just friends. Nothing more. She didn't want it to be anything more. Did she?

"Thanks," she managed to say. Aang smiled in response and looked down at his menu. Since he was ordering for her, she didn't need to look at her menu. But that just meant she had to sit there while he perused, making the silence seem uncomfortable – to her anyway. Aang probably didn't feel that way.

_Only because you told him you just want to be friends. Which isn't true by the way._

_Oh, come on, conscience. We're just friends. He's just Aang._

_Sure. Keep telling yourself that._

_I will. Because it's true._

Her mental battle with her conscience came to an abrupt end when she realized how silly she was for talking to herself. Katara sighed quietly. None of this would be happening if she hadn't let Toph talk her into being a contestant on Avatar Matchmaker. She should have been angry that all this had happened. That's why she was a little surprised at herself when she realized that she wasn't upset.

_Because you're happy to find out that Aang likes you, too!_

_Shut up._

Either way, she remembered how this all began.

"_**No."**_

"_**Come on, Sugar Queen," Toph urged. "What's the worst that can happen?"**_

"_**Where have I heard that before?" Katara crossed her arms. "There is no way I'd actually go on that dumb show. Sure, it was cute when Iroh chose Aunt Wu, and it was hilarious when Azula accidentally chose her own brother, but I'm not going to do it. No way."**_

"**Katara…" Toph wasn't letting it go, though the waterbender wished she would. "What if you choose Aang?!" Katara whirled around to face her, her neck growing warm.**

"_**What?! Aang and I are just friends!"**_

"_**I didn't say Aang!" she protested. Katara's eyes narrowed. "I said… a… guy! What if you choose a guy… you like?" Katara was pretty sure that wasn't what she had said, but let it drop. She didn't want to talk about her relationship – **__**platonic**__** relationship – with Aang.**_

"_**I don't like anyone!" she said, and instantly thought of a way to turn the tables on Toph. "Unlike you. You like Sokka, don't you?" Her friend glared at her, stubborn as ever.**_

"_**That's none of your business, Sugar Queen!" When had they started yelling?**_

"_**But my relationship with Aang is yours?" Instantly, Katara knew she shouldn't have said that. It brought the focus back on her. Toph looked triumphant.**_

"_**Aha!"**_

"_**Aha, what?" the waterbender retorted. **_

"_**So you admit you like Aang?" The earthbender pointed an accusing finger at her.**_

"_**I never said that!" Katara shouted, throwing her hands in the air. This was ridiculous. Neither one was going to budge on the issue. Toph was as obstinate as the rock she bended. Katara crossed her arms again; she was just as stubborn. Toph's arm slowly fell to her side, as if she were thinking it all over.**_

"_**Alright," she said. "You don't like Aang. But maybe if you go on the show, you'll find someone to like." Katara snorted, but didn't respond. "Listen up. If you do it…" She stopped. "What am I saying? You won't do it. You're too much of a chickenpig."**_

"_**What?!"**_

"_**You heard me," said Toph, poking a dirty finger in her friend's face. "Besides, no one would want to go on a date with you anyway."**_

"_**Yes, they would!" Katara shot back. "I'll prove it to you. I'll go on that show and everyone will want me to pick them. Just wait and see."**_

_**Toph smirked.**_

Katara couldn't believe how juvenile she had acted. She fell for the oldest trick in the book! And here she was. Great. Just great. Brought down by her own ego.

Well, it wasn't as if the night could get any worse. She'd broken Aang's heart and completely confused herself – all in the course of five minutes. What else could go wrong?

"Welcome to El Luego Tonto." She snapped back to reality. A familiar man stood next to the table. He wore a clean, white apron and held a quill, which was poised to write on a piece of paper.

"Kris?" Why was he there?

"What?" he asked, looking confused. "Oh, you must mean my twin brother, Kris. No, I'm Kory Deeter and I will be your waiter this evening. What can I get you?" Katara gestured to Aang, who closed his menu.

"We'll both have water to drink, and we're ready to order," said Aang. Kory nodded and picked up the menus. "I will have the fettuccini alfredo with a side of steamed vegetables. And Katara," He held out his hand to indicate her. "will have the grilled turtleduck with a side salad." He looked at her. "How does that sound?"

She smiled. "Great, but I'd like the house dressing, too, please." Kory nodded again, writing it all down before walking away. "You were almost perfect," Katara teased.

"But not quite, eh?"

She shrugged. "Close enough." And just like that, the awkwardness was gone. Katara couldn't entirely get rid of her conscience, though.

_He's the perfect boyfriend, you know._

_Not quite,_ she responded sarcastically, thinking of his bald head and childish habits.

_Close enough._ Images floated through her mind: Aang rescuing her in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se; Aang braving the Unagi in order to save a village; Aang retrieving her mother's necklace when she'd thought it was gone forever.

Okay, so he was a good guy – a great guy – but he wasn't the type of guy she dreamed of kissing.

_Except in the Cave of Two Lovers. I wanted to kiss him then. And a few times after that_, Katara said to herself, kind of surprised that she didn't need her conscience to tell her that. She had forgotten about all that; so much had happened since then.

She looked up to see where Sokka was. Her brother had an annoying habit of reading her mind, and if he knew that she'd wanted to kiss Aang, things could turn ugly. Sokka was still in his seat, talking animatedly with Suki.

Katara spotted Kory making his way to their table, navigating around tables and carrying two cups of water. Suddenly his foot caught on the leg of a chair – Sokka's chair – and he was falling. Katara instinctively threw up her hands to protect herself, turning away and squeezing her eyes shut.

Nothing happened.

She left her hands up and slowly twisted around to see the water from her glass floating next to her. Thankful for her waterbending gift, she picked up a fallen cup and bended the liquid back into it. Kory, Sokka, and Aang hadn't been as quick to react. The waiter was pushing himself off the floor, apologizing profusely. Sokka was pulling his face out of his soup bowl and Suki was laughing hysterically at him. Water soaked Aang, who grinned sheepishly. Trying hard not to laugh at her own date – friend – who looked so cute - humorous – with drops dripping from his nose, Katara reached for him. The airbender shivered when she touched him.

"Is it cold?" she giggled.

"Uh… Yeah. Cold." He blushed as she pulled the liquid off him and into his cup.

"- the fourth time that's happened tonight!" said Kory. He looked at them, seemed to realize that they hadn't heard a word he'd said, and apologized again. "Your dinner will be here shortly." He bowed slightly, then left.

The rest of the meal went smoothly. Katara and Aang chatted like the close friends they were, and – now that she recognized it – even flirted a little. Kory was a klutz throughout the night: spilling refills, almost pulling the tablecloth off the table, and dropping their cuisine on the ground. Their food almost hit the floor again when he tripped for the third time. If it hadn't been for Aang's amazing airbending reflexes, they would have had to order yet again. Katara enjoyed the meal Aang picked for her and told him so, causing him to blush lightly. Of course, there were a few awkward moments, one of which occurred when Kory picked up their empty plates. His arm bumped the candlestick in the center of the table and it wobbled dangerously. Aang and Katara steadied it, their hands touching and their eyes meeting. Such things led Katara to admit that she liked Aang by the time they left El Luego Tonto.

They arrived at the cinema quickly. Aang graciously paid for both tickets, despite Katara's insistence, but she talked him into letting her buy the snacks.

"Thanks for the popcorn," Aang joked as he grabbed the bag from her and began walking to the theater.

"Hey!" She laughed and chased him to the doors where a man stood.

"Tickets please."

"Kory?" said Aang and Katara in unison. Why was he there instead of back at the restaurant?

"Hey, guys!" he said, recognizing them. "This is my second job. So… can I take your tickets?" Aang nodded and handed them over. They walked down the aisle to find some empty seats, but Katara glanced back. It was so strange to see him again. What are the odds of meeting a man, then seeing his twin twice the next day? It was a weird coincidence that seemed too coincidental to be a coincidence. But she put it out of her mind when they sat down. Since she had realized that she liked Aang as more than just a friend, she felt nervous around him.

His arm lay on the armrest, his hand hanging down. Should she try to hold his hand?

"Katara?" She looked up.

"Hm?"

"I said, did you want any popcorn?" He gave her a funny look and held out the bag.

"Oh. Yeah," she said, grabbing a handful just as the lights dimmed. They both faced the screen at the same time, settling into their seats to watch the film. Katara found that she couldn't concentrate on the movie, her thoughts on the sweet airbender. She lifted her hand from her lap – half-intending to hold his – and snatched some more popcorn. What was wrong with her? What happened to being just friends? Why wasn't he 'just Aang' anymore?

_It all changed when you realized you love him._

Her first impulse was to deny it. Aang wasn't the type of guy she'd always imagined falling in love with. Yes, she had said she wouldn't want to kiss him and she was now seriously considering grabbing him by the shirt and doing just that. But love?

_Okay, Katara, let's think this through rationally,_ she told herself. _I want a man I can trust._

Her conscience responded. _Remember the incident with Bato and the map? Aang couldn't hide the truth from you even when he wanted to._

_Alright. But I want someone who can protect me and is also willing to let me protect myself._

_All the battles with Zuko and Azula prove that Aang is capable of doing both._

_What about respect?_

This time Katara provided the proof. Everything he'd ever said or done showed that he respected her. And the other way around? Yes, he trusted her, and she protected and respected him. Still… love?

_We're too young to be in love._

_Who says?_

_Everyone!_ She practically shouted to herself, completely aware how insane she sounded. But, hey, if it helped her sort things out.

_And what does 'everyone' know about you and Aang?_

_Nothing,_ she thought hesitantly.

_So what's the problem?_

Right. There was no problem – except for what she was going to do about all of it. She was in love with her best friend, for spirits' sake!

She shivered. Too much thinking. Suddenly she was aware of Aang's eyes on her.

"What?" she whispered, fighting the urge to blush.

"Are you cold?" he asked. Actually, now that he mentioned it, she was little chilly. She nodded. Aang shifted in his seat so he could take off his outer jacket. This time Katara couldn't hold back a blush when he placed it around her shoulder.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" she murmured.

_The word 'fine' certainly describes him,_ she thought, her neck becoming quite warm indeed. Aang nodded and indicated the light shirt that had been underneath the jacket. They sat quietly for a moment, Katara debating with herself and Aang – she assumed – watching the movie. Finally, she made up her mind. She scooted over and leaned into him, placing her head on his shoulder. He glanced down at her, surprise in his eyes. Their faces were inches apart. Katara thought that, if they both wanted to, they could easily have kissed. He looked like he was about to, leaning in slightly, but he pulled back and just questioned her with his eyes.

_And you wanted to know if he respects you. He obviously wants to kiss you, but you told him 'just friends'. What were you thinking, Katara?_

Katara buried her face in his shoulder and her explanation sounded muffled even to her own ears: "I'm still cold."

_Liar._

Aang appeared to accept it and he hesitantly placed his arm around her. Her face heated up and, glancing upward, she could see that he was blushing, too.

Katara still couldn't concentrate on the movie, her focus entirely on the warm body next to her and the arm around her. When the lights came back on, she didn't know a thing about the film.

"So, what did you think?" Aang asked, looking down at her.

"It was… great! I loved it." Reluctantly, she stood up, already missing his warmth. He just nodded as they made their way to the theater's exit. Kory Deeter was at his post by the doors, seemingly doing nothing but standing there. As Katara and Aang walked through the doorway, someone called his name and he quickly walked in front of them. He bumped into Katara, who lost her balance and fell right into Aang's chest. The airbender stumbled, but his grip on her shoulders held her steady. The waterbender craned her neck around to thank him and found herself inches from his face. They froze. Then they moved closer…

Katara opened her eyes, extremely disoriented. She shifted in her sleeping sack, turning to face the stars above her. Something moved on her right and she flipped onto her side to see Aang. He lay a few feet away, his blanket tangled around his legs.

"Aang," she whispered. Then again. "Aang." The airbender turned towards her and his eyes slowly opened.

"Katara? What is it?" His voice was thick with sleep, his eyelids threatening to close.

"I just had the craziest dream. There was this annoying man on this thing called a game show. And you were there. And there were things called microphones and movies and television. And popcorn! The popcorn was so good! Anyway, the annoying man had a twin who was so clumsy." She babbled on and on about her dream until she had told everything except for what happened between them.

Aang yawned. "So, what happened?" Katara smiled and took his hand in hers, caressing his palm with her thumb.

"I fell in love with you all over again."

_-Fin-_

* * *

Thank you for all the reviews for Chapter One. Don't forget to review this chapter!

KD


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